Rising from the Slum City of Reincarnation in Another World ~ Gathering, Hunting, and Living a Slow Life by Eating - Chapter 143
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- Chapter 143 - 2nd year tomatoes from Sturmir village
Rising from the Slum City of Reincarnation in Another World ~ Gathering, Hunting, and Living a Slow Life by Eating
Chapter 143 2nd year tomatoes from Sturmir village
Now, as summer is in full swing, the small tomato garden at our Eldania Lord’s residence is abundant with ripe fruits.
“Well, how about paying a visit to Sturmir Village?”
“Yes, meow!”
Even Ciel, who usually goes “meow meow,” seems all prepared and determined. It’s been a while since we visited our hometown.
It’s not like there’s a scheduled flight to the village, and sending someone back alone isn’t really an option. Considering the default Japanese sense of returning home during Bon and New Year’s, it feels a bit pitiful not to see each other for so long. Well, part of the reason might be that my mother didn’t come back often.
We rent a carriage from the commercial guild established in Eldania. Even though I’m acting as the proxy Lord, I don’t have much authority, so I pay the standard price.
As usual, I provide a deposit and cover the expenses.
“Well then, off we go!”
“Take care on your journey!”
Minya’s parents, including Melun-san and Gid-san, as well as their escort Mark-san, the Rapunzel sisters, and others, naturally aren’t accompanying us. Last time, we went with just the kids on an impulsive adventure, but afterwards, we realized that wasn’t the best idea. So, this time, Beast-san decided to come along with us.
Beast-san is also keeping an eye on us on behalf of Lord Zeckenbauer of the Trieste Territory, so there’s that aspect to it as well. It’s not that he considers us troublemakers or anything, but he probably wants to have someone close by to report back.
And, of course, he probably plans to delegate some tasks or assistance along the way.
“Alright then, Beast-san, please take care of the carriage.”
“Absolutely!”
He gives us a handsome smile and a nod, indicating that he’s got it covered. He’s leaving his subordinates in charge of guarding Eldania while we embark on our journey for a while.
The horses trot along steadily.
I wonder if they can invent magical automobiles or something. It would make travel much faster. The roads in this area have been surprisingly well-maintained by Lord Zeckenbauer of the Trieste Territory, and they’re designed to allow for faster speeds while ensuring safety. Of course, with creatures like the running birds known as Lambards around, it’s probably a necessary precaution.
In case something unexpected happens, like another Stampede incident, they’d want to notify and deploy reinforcements as quickly as possible.
We pass through Barrel Town and make our way to the nostalgic city of Trieste after several days of travel.
“Hey, Harris.”
“Ed. You doing well? How’s Eldania?”
“Our homes are gradually increasing in number.”
“We’re actually planning to move there in the near future.”
“Is that so? Is it already becoming a topic of conversation?”
“Well, it’s just talk for now. Money’s tight. I’ve got a bit set aside, though. Ahaha.”
Harris rubs his nose and boasts a little.
“Don’t worry, I’ll pay the licensing fees. Just wait for it.”
“Sure thing.”
Indeed, there’s an agreement between Harris and me that he’ll pay me twenty percent of the herbal tea rights.
Well, in truth, there’s no formal contract, it’s still just a verbal agreement. So, either of us could walk away at any time, and if he breaks it, there’s not much I can do. But Harris seems committed to holding up his end of the deal.
His sense of duty is more solid than I expected, which is impressive. Despite being the ringleader of the neighborhood kids, he’s got this oddly sincere side.
It’s a relief he’s not some uncontrollable delinquent. Looking back, I guess he was just trying to make me out to be the bad guy as a sort of vigilante response to the belief that bad things happen around folks with black eyes and hair. His essence isn’t that of a villain.
I receive a handful of gold coins. Harris, you seem to be making quite a profit.
“Oh man, is it really this much?”
“Yeah, it adds up since it circulates to other cities as well, making it a decent sum.”
“Surprising that you entrust so much to a kid. Seriously, grown-ups can be too trusting.”
“Even I think I’m a bit too easygoing about it.”
Harris chuckles, a hint of self-deprecation in his tone.
With Dridon-san and the Raffalier Church behind him, Harris is well-protected. You can’t just mess with them casually. Both of these parties are definitely in the top ten when it comes to people you wouldn’t want to provoke in Lanierda.
Challenging a religious organization is something even the mafia would hesitate to do. Interestingly enough, sometimes the local mafia is in cahoots with the church.
With that in mind, I collect a handful of clinking gold coins and bid farewell to Trieste City.
Venturing along the western road of Trieste.
The Madold-Trieste Highway, if I recall correctly.
If you proceed straight, it leads to the neighboring Madold Kingdom, but we take a right turn and head north.
The side road to the north is somewhat named, or maybe not. It’s the route to the West Fort of Hellhorn Mountain.
And just before reaching the West Fort, there’s a small village.
That’s our destination, Sturmir Village.
This is our second time visiting.
“Hello there.”
“Oh, the kid. You’re the one we helped out before, right?”
“Yes, that’s me, Ed.”
“And Ciel-chan is with you, I see.”
“Yes, thank you for your hospitality, mya.”
Ciel pops her head out and waves to make her presence known.
The gatekeeper smiles and lets us through.
Continuing along the village paths, we notice that the wheat fields seem larger than last year, taking up more space.
And there’s an expansive tomato field.
Red tomatoes are hanging from the branches here and there.
At a glance, the proportion of fruit seems about the same as our own field, giving the impression of a bountiful harvest.
“Mom, Dad!”
“Ciel, you’re here! Welcome!”
Ciel’s parents, who are also the village elders, greeted her with joyful smiles.
They explained the situation to us.
This year, they reversed the usual arrangement of separating tomatoes and wheat fields. They also added fields for radishes and turnips, members of the Brassicaceae family, as part of a rotation plan. This is the first phase of putting my advice into practice.
“As you can see, this year’s harvest is bountiful. Thank you, thank you. It’s all thanks to Ed’s guidance,” Ciel’s father exclaimed.
“Oh, well, I just shared some knowledge I picked up along the way. I didn’t really do anything,” I responded modestly.
“But that knowledge is crucial, you see. Ho ho ho,” chuckled Ciel’s father with a contented expression.
He seemed in a good mood, and that’s reassuring. With this, it’s likely Ciel’s younger siblings won’t end up being sold into slavery.
From tomato salad to tomato pasta, tomato pizza, tomato soup, and more, we were treated to an abundance of incredibly delicious tomato dishes.
“Oh, yes, speaking of which, we ended up with an abundance and are a bit overwhelmed. It’s a happy dilemma, but some of the tomatoes might go bad,” the village elder said, looking a bit troubled.
“How about making sun-dried tomatoes? You dry them in the sun until they’re like dried meat.”
“I see! That’s a great idea. We’ll try it out right away.”
And so, we spent a day working together to make sun-dried tomatoes.
With this, we won’t have to worry about any excess tomatoes going to waste.
“Please be sure to visit us again next year. Take care, Ciel.”
“I will. Goodbye.”
And that’s how Ciel and we waved our hands and headed back.
It seems like the issue is on its way to being resolved, which is a relief.